Alerts Your Business Gives, To Discard Merchant Services

Stay updated and it’s time to change the old merchant account service provider. Discard services cannot help you anymore. Merchant account holder suffers a lot once they got trapped in the hands of mischievous account provider.

Merchant at times needs to swallow the pain, and they are helpless.

Points To Look After

1.     Old Practice

Look at the services the provider is serving you. Merchant services providers should always be updated regarding the new updates in the market. The Debit and Credit card companies are always improving and bring changes likewise your business should also adapt and concur.

Without these updates, your company may suffer many losses in terms of customers, reputation, etc. A firm should properly update the payment options where they can serve their best services without any disappointing customers. Keep your firm updated on services and products.

2.     Uncertain Fees

Merchant usually gets a sudden shock after looking at his bank statement. Surprised fees are the most annoying things that the merchants have to face. This is the correct time a merchant should switch or leave the service provider. Common deductions are:

1. Account Application Fee

2. Account Setup Fee

3. PCI Compliance Fee

4. PCI Non-Compliance Fee

These are the services that the merchant is charged from the provider but unfortunately, these fees are not described on the very first day of the service. A merchant, therefore, is not left with any other option at this moment. So, keep your eyes wide and ears open before making the decision on your provider.

3. Interrupted Support

Once services are taken merchant asks for all time support round the clock. In a quick survey, some of the merchants have come forward sharing their disappointments with the current providers. Usually, they do not justify the services they give against the purchase of the service. 

Whereas at times it leads to the blockage of the terminal and angry customers on the merchant’s portal.

This is how a merchant gets stuck with the services if he gets entangled in the trap of fake service providers.

Merchant Stronghold: Service Station

Merchant Stronghold holds the services which are beneficial to the merchant. Serving the best services which suit amazingly best to the merchant’s business nature.  Be a part of our family and enjoy each and every moment with us. Call us anytime; we are on toes to help you. Call us at +1 (888) 622 – 6875 or visit our site at

Are you looking Secure Payment Processing for Online Businesses?

Nowadays, there are a lot of e-commerce and m-commerce transactions; opening doors for cybercriminals. As a merchant, you need to confirm that you provide the best payment security and that your customers don’t have to worry about their data. Customers usually cannot select their own payment gateway, so it’s up to you to make the best and perfect choice for them.

PCI COMPLIANCE

When you’re processing payments on your website, PCI (Payment Card Industry) is a must. The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) provide direction for merchants that tell them what they need to do in order to secure sensitive data in payment processing.

A merchant doesn’t have to be PCI compliant if he/she selected the right payment provider (one with PCI level 1). He/she can leave it up to the payment gateway to comply with the industry level security excellence. Note that data encryption is needed by PCI.

SSL

Each and every transaction should be secured with SSL protocol. SSL helps to encrypt the information so that the card details and all other sensitive and important data is secured. It, of course, improves payment security but also makes customers more eager to for the purchase.
A padlock icon in the URL bar symbolizes the SSL, and the web address starts with https.

ADDRESS VERIFICATION SERVICE

You can also use an Address Verification Service, which requires customers to give the billing address connected with their credit card. If the address on the card matches with the one in bank’s documents, the transaction will go through.

Many companies have a problem of controlling the location and storage of their payment data, but almost 42% of the companies claim that payment data is at serious risk when it is stored. A Global Study on the State of Payment Data Security shows that over 50% of organizations had a breach involving payment data within the past three years.

Merchant Stronghold will help you secure your payment processing in order for you to provide the best payment security to your customers. We also provide high-risk merchant services, contact Merchant Stronghold to get answers to all your questions related to the security of payment processing.

How To Manage Online Payments Risk?

Management of Risk:

A merchant needs to have a quantitative approach to risk management to identify and manage it in online payment processing :

A merchant needs to identify the most critical risks by tying them to business processes.

Quantify the severity of the identified risk, if they occur

Measure the size of the risk and evaluate the likelihood of it, if it is to occur again.

Detailed Risk Management At A More Granular Level:

Understand The Risks And Train The Staff – The staff should know what risks your business may have to deal with and plan for it beforehand. Everyone in the business structure needs to understand the types of risks inherent in online payments. Establish the procedures on avoiding and solving the risks.

Ensure Information Security – Information here includes customer databases, buying requests, payment process. etc. It should be made sure that Information is not leaked nor hacked into. Set up a secure and efficient process for submitting authorization requests over the Internet. Before you can start accepting payments online.

Use Collective Efforts To Minimize Losses – You have control over most types of chargebacks and especially the ones resulting from processing errors. A well-designed collection system can help recover unwarranted chargeback losses.

Display Effective Policies And Rules – Your website must list your privacy, shipping, return and refund policies on each page. Customers should not be forced to search for them. This will also create satisfaction and convenience for customers to come to the website even more.

Risk Evaluation – Fraud and any type of risk when occurs should be evaluated in first priority, by this approach the business has a guarantee of getting a sound data and planned structure to put up for future risks.

Finally, Risk Management is focused on the analysis and reduction of risk in various types of activities. To know more- You can contact us using the toll-free number +1 (888) 622 – 6875. 

Confused Between Merchant Account and Payment Gateway?

Merchant Account and Payment Gateway: The Basic requirement for starting up and running a business is having a Merchant Account and a Payment gateway. Both have an equivalent ratio for the smooth and balanced working of the business. A businessman who has really started up with new e-commerce venture requires a point from where he can connect to the customers. Now we need to figure out how?

The foremost thing to run an e-commerce site is to have a proper cash flow in it. Hence, where do we need that money from; from the customer? Any entrepreneur running a High or Low-Risk business requires a Merchant Account and a Payment Gateway.

Merchant Account

A type of an account that allows accepting online payment from the customers through many ways under legal wings of the payment service provider.

Merchant Account is created under the mutual agreement between a merchant and merchant’s acquiring bank, so to further proceed with future online payment.

Payment Gateway:

The next genuine question from your side: What Is Payment Gateway? A payment gateway is a software program that works behind the scene. It is basically a process that enables the flow of the payment securely. It’s a secure way to transfer your customer’s money safely into your merchant account. It’s really very important to have a payment gateway for the following reasons:

• Prevents your money from fraudulent activities.
• Creates a trustworthy aura between you and your customers.
• Keeps you away from any future threat.
• Maintains a good graph in the competitive world.

Short Review on Merchant Account and Payment Gateway

Above mentioned content shows the nature of the account, now below we can compare both of them:

Merchant Account is an account where the funds are deposited and payment gateway is the channel from which we receive our payments.

Merchant account holders get their amount through the payment gateway

Merchant Account holds the money, which they earn from selling their goods/services and with the help of a payment gateway they get their amount secured under the safety of the acquiring bank.

Payment Gateway gives a piece of evidence for the particular transaction for future Disputes.

Get High Risk Payment Gateway Services For Your Online Businesses

Each customer that moves to the check-out area of a merchant’s site must experience a seamless, error-free experience. If a problem occurs during a check-out, a merchant can likely kiss that transaction goodbye. Too many experiences like this add up to a lot of lost sales. A high-risk payment gateway, like the ones offered by Merchant Stronghold, helps ensure check-out processes are flawless.

Businesses that already have merchant accounts can apply to Merchant Stronghold for a high-risk payment gateway. Those that wish to apply for a merchant account and a high-risk payment gateway can begin the process today by filling out Merchant Stronghold’s quick and easy online application. There are no guarantees, but Merchant Stronghold promises an open and honest application process. Merchants can be approved in as little as 24 hours. Fraud protection tools and all day, everyday customer support also is provided. Most importantly, payment gateways are PCI compliant.

Merchants Have Three Basic Needs For an Online Payment Gateway

The first is security and anti-fraud protection. Protecting your business and protecting your customers is a cornerstone of a successful business. Once incident can wreck your potential and reputation.

The second need is for the payment gateway to be user-friendly. Not only does it need to seamlessly integrate into your website and merchant account but it needs to be customer-friendly so that your customers do not become frustrated and give up on buying your products.

Lastly, you have to find the best rates. Business-friendly rates regarding transaction volume and transaction fees can make or break your margins. Finding the right balance of security and financial acuity is critical for any payment gateway.

Documents needed when applying for a high-risk payment gateway

A valid, government-issued ID, such as a driver’s license or passport

A merchant account

A secure, working website with terms and conditions

Three months of the most recent bank statements

Three months of the most recent processing statements, if applicable

SSN (Social Security Number) or EIN (Employer Identification Number)

Get high-risk online payment gateway services from Merchant Stronghold for businesses that sell the following products and services:

Adult entertainment and novelties

Auto accessories and parts

Tech support

Luxury goods and services, such as private planes and travel

Adult entertainment and novelties

Auto accessories and parts

MLM and direct sales

Collectibles and antiques

Designer Fashions

E-cigarettes

Find the best credit card processor for your Identity Restoration Business

Are you running an Identity Restoration business? If you are then you need a merchant account to accept credit card and debit card payments. Your merchant account works as a bridge between your bank account and the customer’s bank. When you get a merchant account, you are required to follow rules and regulations established by credit card companies and your bank. This includes a number of fees associated with both the accounts.

There are various fees associated with a merchant account, some of them are based on percentage and others are on an item basis. Some of the fees are set by issuing bank while others are by merchant and credit card companies. It is necessary to understand fees associated with an account to run your identity restoration business successfully.

Fees associated with a merchant account

Cancellation fee: It is charged when you send your contract with an online merchant account before the due date of your contract. Not all the providers require a contract, but those who have this police ask for a cancellation fee.

Chargeback fee:

When money is returned to the customer. This fee is initiated by the bank of your customer, often because of fraudulent transactions. A chargeback is one of the reasons why merchants around the globe lose thousands of dollars. It is a fee that merchant account providers take for processing the chargeback request.

Gateway Fee:

It is a monthly fee to keep your merchant account. This fee is a charge to maintain your online merchant account. Some online payment gateways don’t charge money, while others may charge as much as $20.

Monthly minimum:

This is the amount your account is required to process on a monthly basis. The fee is charged to maintain the account, but if you don’t exceed the minimum, then the merchant account provider will charge you accordingly.

Statement fee:

A statement fee is charged by all the online merchant account providers. This fee is associated with your statement and it is taken at the end of the billing cycle. You will pay between $7 and $10. It is charged when you get a paper base or paperless statement.

Transaction fee:

As the name suggests, it is a fee that is charged every time a transaction is processed. Usually, it is between 20 and 25 cents. This fee remains the same no matter how big the transaction was.

Address - 10300 49th Street N Suite 427 Clearwater, Florida 33762

Email ID - info@merchantstronghold.com

Contact No. - +1 (888) 622-6875.

How to Secure Your Payment Processing?

Payment Processing: Nowadays, there are a lot of e-commerce and m-commerce transactions; opening doors for cybercriminals. As a merchant, you need to confirm that you provide the best payment security and that your customers don’t have to worry about their data. Customers usually cannot select their own payment gateway, so it’s up to you to make the best and perfect choice for them.

Credit card payments are still the most ordinary type of payments, but woefully with the growing number of online payments, scammers are also growing. Data thieves have a huge amount of command on how new technologies work, so they are always looking for the unprotected points of payment processing.

There are a lot of ways to secure your data and prevent it from being stolen. Given below are some of the ways:

SSL PROTOCOL

Each and every transaction should be secured with SSL protocol. SSL helps to encrypt the information so that the card details and all other sensitive and important data is secured. It, of course, improves payment security but also makes customers more eager to for the purchase.

A padlock icon in the URL bar symbolizes the SSL, and the web address starts with https.

ADDRESS VERIFICATION SERVICE

You can also use an Address Verification Service, which requires customers to give the billing address connected with their credit card. If the address on the card matches with the one in bank’s documents, the transaction will go through. Many companies have a problem of controlling the location and storage of their payment data, but almost 42% of the companies claim that payment data is at serious risk when it is stored. A Global Study on the State of Payment Data Security shows that over 50% of organizations had a breach involving payment data within the past three years.

3D SECURE

3D Secure gives extra security to transactions and comes with so many benefits. 3D Secure creates a secure password for the merchant’s credit card. Each and every transaction is then verified with a password, which adds an additional layer of the security. It can decrease the number of fraudulent transactions and boost your earnings.

We, at Merchant Stronghold, will help you secure your payment processing in order for you to provide the best payment security for your customers.

Credit Card Terminal for your Retail Business

Retail POS systems аrе сhаnging

If уоu run a retail buѕinеѕѕ, уоu’ll undеrѕtаnd thе nееd fоr a gооd point оf sale system. The lаѕt thing you want iѕ quеuеѕ оf сuѕtоmеrѕ wаiting imраtiеntlу in line while your ѕаlеѕ ѕtаff manually еntеr thе Dеtаilѕ оf their рurсhаѕеѕ into уоur ѕуѕtеm.

But thеrе’ѕ more to a gооd роint оf ѕаlе system than juѕt handling payments аnd rесоrding ѕаlеѕ quickly. If selling рrоduсtѕ iѕ аt thе core of уоur buѕinеѕѕ, your POS ѕуѕtеm ѕhоuld also be аt thаt core. Being able tо trасk sales, mаnаgе inventory, еmроwеr ѕtаff, idеntifу regular customers аnd get thе pricing right are a few of the things a gооd POS ѕуѕtеm ѕhоuld do.

Bеnеfit оf POS system fоr Retail business

Their mаnу rеаѕоnѕ fоr a buѕinеѕѕ tо uѕе a POS rather than a trаditiоnаl саѕh register. Thе kеу аdvаntаgеѕ of a POS аrе dеtаilеd bеlоw.

Improved Efficiency

Whilst thе POS system such as EMV enabled VеriрhоnеVX 520 offers a vаriеtу оf роѕitivеѕ tо thе buѕinеѕѕ mаnаgеr or dirесtоr, let’s first explore the advantages it оffеrѕ tо the main ѕуѕtеm uѕеr (i.е. thе еmрlоуееѕ) who wоuld bе having direct соntасt with both the ѕуѕtеm and сuѕtоmеr each dау.

Indееd, it’s fairly ѕаfе to ѕау, a POS ѕуѕtеm саn improve thе user’s соnfidеnсе in a number of wауѕ. For instance, thеу would nоt have tо ѕреnd аѕ much time mеmоrizing рrоduсt рriсеѕ, or еlѕе manually inputting vаѕt amounts of dаtе аѕ thеу wоuld on a traditional саѕh register.

Thiѕ would аllоw them tо offer bеttеr сuѕtоmеr service, which mау ultimately grant your соmраnу a more lоуаl сuѕtоmеr bаѕе, simply owing tо the fасt thе реорlе they serve hаvе spoken to a friendly, саlm, face.

Point-Of-Ѕаlе System

EMV enabled Vеriрhоnе VX 520 is tор rated роint-оf-ѕаlе system thаt iѕ flexible and роwеrful еnоugh to suit a wide range of retail buѕinеѕѕеѕ—whеthеr уоu’rе a ѕmаllеr, indереndеnt ѕhорѕ оr a larger chain like Uniqlo, Burbеrrу аnd Lululemon. Merchant Strоnghоld givеѕ its сuѕtоmеrѕ for frее, would уоu love tо get уоur fоr frее аlѕо?

Merchant Credit Card Processing Solution for Beauty Products Business

An advance credit card processing solution that comes with a high level of security is what every Beauty Products business need. Efficiency is important when you are running a business, especially when the business is on small scale and you have to struggle a lot to get to the top. The goal of merchant stronghold is to provide you a flexible payment solution with equipment. Electronic payment solution can fulfill most of your needs; you can customize the best rate structure that fits your business.

Some of the advanced services that you can expect:

• Mobile processing for the small-scale business
• Terminals for beauty products and retail service business
• Support for payment gateways connected with shopping carts
• Solutions for MOTO card transactions
• Plus credit card payment plans
• Virtual terminal for processing

Modern Payment Processing

Modern payment processing is integrated merchant account and software. This system is called software as a service (SAAS). It offers a single electronic portal that helps merchants to scan checks and process various credit card payments. This is done without merchant storing the data on the site. A latest cloud-based infrastructure is integrated, means the location of customer doesn’t matter. It also reduces the cost and makes the whole process time efficient.

Transaction Processing Quality

Payment systems are highly susceptible to abuse and fraud. If the credit card is misused, there will be financial losses to your Beauty Products business. There will be even more mess if the merchant will solve the problem on its own. Some beauty parlors may have a monthly subscription, SAAS can make money collection easier for merchants. The system also secures payment information that is passed to the merchant. Some businesses come in the scale of high-risk businesses such as male enhancement products business, Nutraceuticals business, Cruise line business, Trial Continuity Subscription Business etc. All of these can be processed with the help of a quality online platform through Merchant Stronghold.

Payment Processing Architecture

The network architecture is an online payment system that is like a chain of service providers having unique value payment transactions. There are four most important entities in an architecture which are merchant, the point of sale (POS), aggregator, and credit card bank. Payment gateway provider is a company that gives support to merchants and receives payments on their behalf. Point of sale provider presents aggregator to the merchant. There are small POS transactions than an aggregator, so the direct connection with credit card network is not necessary. The responsibilities are divided equally among many different business partners in order to provide the better architecture to the merchants. Merchant Stronghold understands these concepts because we have been working in this business for a long time.

Payment Processing Solutions for Training and Coaching Businesses

If your product doesn’t succeed then your business won’t succeed. In past years, online payment systems have contributed greatly to the success of many training and coaching businesses. There are many things to look out, but the payment method is one that decides how big your business is. Merchant Stronghold understands these unique challenges and to solve them we work hard to develop systems that can lift up your business. If your competitors are strong then you can be stronger by offering better things so that your business gains popularity and revenue.

Better Solution for Merchants

Our payment solution is up to date, reliable, fast, and secure. It doesn’t matter which business you are running, you can trust us. Merchant Stronghold’s online payment system can make your operation smoother. We have award-winning services and experienced professionals who can settle a payment method that fits your business.

By using our online payment solution, you get more than just a way to process transactions. Our services can add value to your training and coaching business, and help you generate revenue. With our help, your brand will certainly get more exposure and you will be able to satisfy your customers. Here are some of the key factors that we focus upon:

• Fast Transactions for your business: We can provide a system that will accept payments fast and instant.
• Reliable uptime: A highly stable online payment system that guarantees you protection so that your business can progress.
• Data security: You can rest easy because there are quality tools and secure architecture that will keep frauds away from your business.
• Value-added services: You don’t have to stick with one payment solution, features such as mobile payments and others can also be provided under a reasonable budget.

Five trades of a best online payment system

• You want to gain additional income and want your customers to be happy? Mobile commerce is one way to do that. You can accept payment on android, tablet, and iPhone.
• A system that makes sure your customers are rightly billed.
• Payment gateway capable of establishing money reserve for expansion, emergencies, and retirement without hurdles.
• There won’t be painful solutions for the training and coaching business. Your cash flow will be improved and you will be able to resolve customer issues.
• There will be the end to the waste of time and frustrating options.

Let's understand PCI Importance

PCI is the shortened version of the acronym PCI DSS, which stands for Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard. It’s a set of best practices that was developed by a group called the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council back in 2006. The purpose of the council was to set up an industry-wide set of security standards and user input from the five major credit card companies: JCB, Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express.

PCI Compliant Mean

When a company is “PCI compliant,” it means that they are processing payments in a way that is in line with all of the standards set forth by the PCI DSS guidelines.

Many people believe that PCI compliance is required by law; however, except for in a few states that have adopted the PCI DSS as a part of their consumer protection laws, it is not. You won’t go to jail for not being PCI compliant, but that doesn’t mean that there are no consequences.

For one thing, you could be fined by any of the credit card companies that you accept through your merchant account. The size of the fine varies, but it can be quite large if a data breach occurred that resulted in significant financial losses.

More importantly, your business’ reputation could be hurt. The whole purpose of PCI compliance is to take steps to improve the security of customers’ financial data.

How Can I Make Sure That I Am PCI Compliant?

Much of PCI compliance is the responsibility of the payment gateway or merchant services provider that you choose. The best thing that you can do to ensure PCI compliance is to choose a provider that meets all of the standards set forth by PCI DSS and install antivirus software on your computers.

You should also develop policies and procedures that safeguard your customers’ credit card information. Only employees that need to know the information should have access to it, and each member of your team who has access should have a unique account or ID that is password protected. Also, you should make sure that your data is kept safe by storing it on an off-site data center that is PCI compliant.

Merchant Stronghold offers merchant accounts through a payment gateway that is fully PCI compliant and allows businesses to accept electronic payments anywhere.

Accept Credit Card Payments for Wine & Alcohol Stores

At Merchant Stronghold, our group of Installment, Preparing and Processing Specialists can coordinate your lager, wine, and alcohol store with one of our numerous cooperating banks who spend significant time in High-Risk Merchant Accounts.

MCC 5961/5330 - [MOTO/INTERNET]

PROCESSING OPTIONS FOR BEER, WINE AND LIQUOR MERCHANTS

• (POS) Terminals or Phone Swipes
• Virtual Terminal or Online Payment Gateway
• Mobile Card Processing on Smart Phone or Tablet

Website Requirements: Website should include clear Terms and conditions which clearly say that the customer is over the age of 18 years and per the law.

Documents required

• Article of incorporation
• Bank Letter or Void Check
• D/L (Driving License)
• 2 years of audited Financials or tax returns of Business
• 6 months Processing Statements

Merchant Account for Liquor Stores

Description: Because of the way of the business, numerous acquiring banks consider Beer wine and alcohol stores to be high-risk Merchant. A basic tablet-based point-of-sale system is usually the cheapest and easiest option for most single-register locations, but more complex solutions are required for high-risk and online liquor sales. Alcohol sellers that are considered high risk may require a merchant account through a credit card processor that specializes in placing high-risk businesses. Online liquor sellers will need to look for a provider that offers high risk and offshore merchant accounts as well as robust e-commerce solutions. In short, if you’re a liquor store owner, you may have a few unexpected hurdles to clear before you can accept credit cards from your customers.

If you are searching Payment Gateway & Merchant Account Services Provider. Merchant Stronghold provides reliable High-Low-Risk Merchant Account, Online Payment Gateway, Credit Card Processing, POS System Services Provider. To know more information - Payment Gateway Services Provider.